Congo (Democratic Republic of the): Knowledge Base profile
Updated 17 March 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/congo-democratic-republic-of-the-knowledge-base-profile/congo-democratic-republic-of-the-knowledge-base-profile
Version 3.0
About: Democratic Republic of the Congo
This document contains useful information about Democratic Republic of the Congo which will assist His Majesty’s Passport Office staff process passport applications.
Contacts
If you have any questions about the document and your line manager or senior caseworker cannot help you or you think that the document has factual errors then email the Guidance team.
If you notice any formatting errors in this document (broken links, spelling mistakes and so on) or have any comments about the layout or navigability of the document then you can email the Guidance team.
Publication
Below is information on when this version of the document was published:
- version 3.0
- published for Home Office staff on 02 March 2026
Changes from last version of this document
This document has been updated with information about parental responsibility in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: names
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about names in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Names in Democratic Republic of the Congo consist of:
- forename
- middle name
- father’s surname.
Names are given at the time of birth. In some Congolese religions more names may be granted after religious ceremonies.
Change of name
Name changes are allowed in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Women take their husband’s surname on marriage.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: nationality
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about nationality from Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Democratic Republic of the Congo does not recognise dual nationality.
The only exception to this is if a child was born abroad and held the citizenship of the country where they were born. The child will be allowed to retain their dual citizenship until their 21st birthday then it must be renounced.
Democratic Republic of the Congo: legitimacy and parental responsibility
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about legitimacy and parental responsibility in Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Legitimacy
Democratic Republic of the Congo does not recognise a difference between legitimate and illegitimate births. This means that all births are considered legitimate whether a child’s parents are married or not.
Parental responsibility
In Democratic Republic of the Congo, a child’s:
- mother automatically has parental responsibility for her child unless it is removed by a court
- father will have parental responsibility if he:
- is married to the mother; or,
- is not married to the mother but is named on the birth certificate; or,
- has a court order granting him parental responsibility
Democratic Republic of the Congo: documents
This section gives HM Passport Office operational staff information about documents from Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Documents from Democratic Republic of the Congo are issued in the administrative regions at the local registration office. These are not laminated.
Birth certificates
Birth notifications and hospital birth certificates are called Attestation de Naissance (declaration of birth) and issued to parents at the time of birth.
Births must be registered within 30 days. When the birth is registered the Bourgemestre will issue an Acte de Naissance (birth certificate).
Marriage certificates
All marriages including customary marriages must be registered at the local city hall to be official. An Acte de marriage (marriage certificate) will be issued.